Frank Lampard delight as nervy draw at Blackburn seals promotion for Coventry

Whatever their incentive, Rovers started to play, enjoying the better of the first half, after which they were applauded off. Yuki Ohashi ought to have done better with a header after a fine cross from Ryan Alebiosu, but the striker nodded straight at Carl Rushworth. Ohashi later smacked the bar with a similar effort but was penalised for a slight push.

With Ryoya Morishita pulling the strings from the inside right channel, Michael O’Neill’s side continued to try to upset the league leaders. Jack Rudoni hit the side netting but it was evident, after back-to-back stalemates going into this game, Coventry had suddenly grown goal-shy, perhaps sensing the champagne was on ice.

How to pop open the cork? That would be a question for Lampard to answer at half-time, although Mason-Clark might have stolen a 1-0 lead just before the break after ghosting in at the back post and bundling wide.

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard celebrates with the fans after the club’s promotion was confirmed with the draw. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters

“We’re on our way to the Premier League”, was the preferred song of the Coventry faithful throughout the evening but this performance was hardly one of a top-tier team in waiting, a poor imitation of the side who have ripped a course through the Championship.

When Morishita poked home Blackburn’s opener on 53 minutes, after good work from Alebiosu, it felt more than merited. It seemed initially as though the chance on the break had eluded Blackburn, but Morishita showed great anticipation to finish via a nick off Coventry’s Thomas.

Whether it would prove only a scare for Lampard’s champions-elect, or a genuine bump in the road as this stage remained to be seen, though the 7,000 away fans were becalmed, fearing a wasted journey. Few sides in the Championship can afford to leave their two top scorers on the bench, and in Haji Wright and Brandon Thomas-Asante – 28 goals between them this season – Lampard had some trump cards to play. He was duty bound to respond to the home fans’ jibes of “Premier League, you’re having a laugh” and sent on Wright, Romain Esse and Victor Torp after 62 minutes. Rudoni hit the post with a glancing header on 70 minutes, with Thomas-Asante introduced soon after.

Ryoya Morishita punctured Coventry’s hopes when he fired home off Bobby Thomas in the 62nd minute. Photograph: Lee Parker/CameraSport/Getty Images

Yet as they flooded forward, Lampard changing shape and sacrificing a centre-back in Joel Latibeaudiere for three attack-minded players, more gaps appeared at the back.

Then came the moment for Coventry as Thomas nodded in from Torp’s free-kick to spark bedlam. Light blue flares were launched on to the pitch, fans heartily flung scarves and flags into the sky, while Lampard could barely contain himself on the touchline. Having watched their team flatter to deceive for much of the evening, this was the moment those fans had come for. They will savour it for some time.